My most precious person
by Loveless Demon
Summary: What if Tom Riddle had someone he could relate to?Someone he could keep safe and who would do so in return?would things be different? We see the heir of Slytherin from youth to lf given prompt:'The future is not written in stone' Can one person truly make a difference? (Not a time travel fic) Enjoy.I apologise in advance for missing words/grammar,my uploads go weird.
1. Chapter 1-Just like a Riddle

**A/N:** Had this stashed away and thought it should be brought back to life.I started writing this when I was around 14 or so lol long time hardly see Tom Riddle when he was young so I wanted to keeps cutting out words!

* * *

December 31st 1926

It was snowing heavily outside as Merope Gaunt held her child weakly.

"Thomas..Marvolo .That's what I'll call you.."She said breathlessly, her voice just above a whisper.

Mrs Cole looked at the woman she had helped deliver her child as New Year dawned.

"You'll look just like Tom..just like a rid-"Merope managed before going limp, a small smile on her pale chapped lips, the baby boy wriggled slightly in Mrs Cole's arms as she picked him up from his mothers lax grip. Electric blue eyes looked up at the sharp-faced woman as she looked down at his mother with distaste. There was no ring around her finger, only the faint line giving away there had been before, not so long ago.

"Stupid girl."She sneered and with that she walked away, calling for one of the workers, a young girl called Martha to call the funeral home.

* * *

"You little demon!" Mrs Cole yelled as she dragged a five year old Tom Riddle down the hall. He looked at her with fear swirling in his blue eyes.

He tried to pull away from her vice-like grip, "Please, I didn't mean it. I don't know what happened." He pleaded.

H knew where this hallway led and he didn't want to go there, not again.

"Please. Not there. I-I'll be good. I won't do it again, I swear." he cried, tears streaming down his reddened pale cheeks.

Her grip only grew tighter, causing him to wince before she stopped in-front of a non-descript door while with her free hand she unhooked a set of keys from her belt. Tom watched, dark eyes growing darker with the knowledge of what was to come.

His hands were still red from the cane used to beat them and now came the next stage.

The door opened, revealing utter darkness, the dim light of the hall only allowing one to see the first few feet into the room.

There was a small window near the ceiling which now showed the fading light of early evening through its dust caked surface. A small bed was against the opposite wall and nothing else, no lamp, nothing.

"In you go." she said nonchalantly as she pushed him in, "Think about what you've done." she spat, closing the door behind him.

He shivered and went to the bed he knew all too well from his many previous trips there and wrapped himself in the only blanket available.

He cast his mind back to what had just happened. Of him reading alone just before he and the other children were to go to bed. Of the whispers he heard the workers of the orphanage try to make inaudible.

They found him strange, a young boy only interested in reading and shunned by the other children.

'They must have a good reason.' One woman said in a hushed tone from her place by the front of the room, unaware Tom could hear from where she stood in the hallway.

His eye twitched and he felt a stinging sensation in his chest. 'A good reason' he repeated in his head. He may have only been five but he was smart enough to know that there was n 'good reason' to be treated like he was.

His mood, which he had been trying to lighten after he had to spend most of the day smiling falsely for the prospective parents that had come to adopt, was now dangerously tittering over the edge.

The other assistant snorted, 'I don't feel sorry for him. Thinks he's something special that one. Should've seen his mother, she-'

There was a series of loud crashes as a number of vases around the room shattered one-by-one. The two adults ran into the room only to find Tom sitting there, eyes dark while his face maintained an icy calm. Only his eyes showed his inner rag causing the two women to take a step back as the child looked at them, eyes threatening a slow death as an almost joy-filled smile crept upon his cherub like face.

Ah, the fear. He could see it in their eyes as they looked at the damage. It made him happy to be able to take those smug smiles off their faces but then, as he realised what he had done that same feeling of fear engulfed him.

That was when he saw Mrs Cole, eyes ablaze with anger and fear mixed together. He stopped smiling almost instantly.

He had done it again and now he had to pay the price.

* * *

**A/N**:Whoo chapter 1 is it was good and plz give feedback.


	2. Chapter 2-Emerald eyes and outcasts

**A/N**:Chapter 2 Yay! **A/N Edit**: I think I stopped it taking out words yay!

* * *

A car drew up outside of Wool's Orphanage, much to the surprise of the children enjoying the summer heat outside.

The door opened and an ogre-like man waddled out and to the back seat. They watched as a frail looking boy was pulled out and dragged over to the gates where, Martha, a young woman who had work at the orphanage for a number of years, opened them.

* * *

A boy Tom had never seen before sat on the bench outside of mrs cole's office, ebony hair covering his downcast eyes.

He could hear the conversation that was going on within even from where he stood opposite the boy.

"His parents are dead and so he was dumped on my doorstep. I don't want that brat in my house. Six years, I've clothed him, fed him and kept him warm, yet he's still useless. He's a freak! Just like his father and that damned mother of his."Spat a man, his voice harsh and unforgiving.

Mrs Cole coughed, "Well placing him here would be much better then. We will look after him now, I assure you." The conversation went on much like this, Tom no longer listening as he watched the boy opposite him.

This boy was a 'freak'? Was he like him? Did this boy sin like Mrs Cole said Tom did?

Emerald green eyes locked with his ocean wave blue and the two simply stared at each other. That is, until the door to the office opened and he saw the boy flinch as the man came near.

"Goodbye and good riddance to you Freak."The man said almost cheerfully, "Hopefully I won't be seeing you again." he sneered, his beady eyes narrowing at the boy, "If you're sent back to me due to your freakishness, you know what will happen to you, don't you?"

"Y-yes Uncle Vernon."

With a snort Vernon Dursely walked away and out the large doors of the orphanage.

Mrs Cole came to stand by the boy, "I will give you your uniform now and take you t your room."Her eyes caught sight of Tom and grew cold, "Due to your...Circumstances and lack of space, you will be sharing a room with Tom Riddle here."

'Lack of space? But there was plenty of room with the other children', Tom thought to himself. The only reason he had gotten his own room before puberty was solely due to his 'strangeness'.

"Come along." she snapped and the green eyed boy followed her obediently, leaving Tom alone in the small corridor.

* * *

Later that night, Tom found the boy crying in an alcove after the children 'greeted' him.

They knew he was to stay with Tom and some, like a girl named Amy Bendson knew that for that to happen there must be something strange about the boy too.

"Hey, you shouldn't cry. It makes them feel power over you." he said before realising it. He stood by the niche, looking down at the kneeling boy.

The crying child wiped away his tears with a sniffle, giving a nod before he looked up.

The eight year old looked at the boy who was probably only a year younger than him at the most despite his size and inwardly sighed.

Now he wasn't the only freak he felt sorry for the boy. He had no proof they were the same but something inside him told him they were. This boy would have to put up with the same things Tom did.

He kneeled, "I'm Tom. Tom Riddle."He introduced formally as he put out his hand; despite everything Mrs Cole had done he wouldn't forget the manners she instilled in all the children.

The boy smiled and shook his hand, "I'm Harry Potter, nice to meet you."The smile turned into a full out grin as Harry realised Tom was the first to show him kindness in this new place he was thrust into.

Tom returned the smile, albeit somewhat shakily as he was unaccustomed to the expression.

* * *

Harry whimpered as he was shoved into a wall. He had been at Wool's Orphanage for nearly three years, yet he children still hated his guts with a white hot fire.

"What's the matter, Potter? Gonna cry to Riddle? You're pitiful."Billy Stubbs mocked, "Well, Freaks have to stick together."

The rest of the group, which consisted of Amy Bendson, Dennis Bishop and Eric Wholley laughed.

"Oh, Tom they're being mean to me."Amy gasped dramatically, eyes wide, bottom lip quivering as her hands were clasped in a rendition of pity.

"You're almost a bigger freak than him! Always together, never leaving each other's side."Billy stated with a sneer.

"Why? Are you jealous?"A voice drawled from behind the group, making them freeze.

Harry took the opportunity and ran to his saviour, "Tom!"He yelled in relief, latching onto the other boys arm like a life line.

"Harry, are you alright?" the dark haired boy asked the emerald eyed child. He received a nod and went to steer away from the situation with the young boy, when a hand on his shoulder halted him.

He turned on his heels in a split second and growled, "Don't touch me!" The words were so low it was almost animalistic.

He hated being touched; only Harry was allowed. Harry was special, he was like him; an outcast.

"Don't you dare touch me."

Billy backed off but still held his glare on the boys.

"You think you can just walk away? Just save Potter and walk away like some hero?"

Tom looked at him coldly and replied just as frostily, "Yes."

He turned once again, but this time he wasn't grabbed; Harry was.

Bill yanked the boy away from Tom harshly and pushed him in the direction of the other children. Harry fell, grazing his cheek and knee on the playground floor. This sent Tom over the edge.

He stood inches away from Stubbs, "You dare hurt Harry in front of me?!"They could only watch as his eye grew darker, nearly turning black in his rage. "You will suffer. I'll make you hurt like you hurt Harry!"His teeth were bared and the sky above began to darken over the playground.

Harry looked at the boy he had become friends with worriedly. If he did something would punish him.

"Tom." he said quicky, getting the boys attention instantly, "Look, see? I'm fine. Don't worry, okay?"He rushed over to the other, pushing past the shell-shocked group easily.

Tom looked into the green eyes of his friends. Seeing the worry in them, he took a deep breath.

Reaching out a hand, he touched just under the graze on Harry's cheek, seeing the contrasting red stand out against the alabaster skin.

"He hurt you."He managed weakly.

Harry sighed, "I'm fine. It's just a scratch. Don't worry; I'll just get a plaster okay? Come on" he reassured, taking Tom's arm gently.

Escorting the other inside, he vaguely noticed the sky clear up but kept a hold of Tom's arm.

He had noticed during his time at the orphanage that only he could calm Tom's anger. No-one else could r even tried to.

The first time had been only a week after his arrival; Tom had heard the sweet natured boy Tom knew be demonised into a devil-in-disguise as Mrs Cole told the staff of how Harry's uncle had described the boy.

He had managed to get a table to fly across the room and at the group and was about to flip another when Harry had shown up, seemingly out of no-where and soothed him.

Harry looked over at his friend who continued looking forward, until he felt the others gaze, they shared a smile and continued their walk to find an adult for a plaster.

* * *

The next day, Billy Stubbs' rabbit was found hung from the rafters.

* * *

**A/N**:Billy deserved that!I'm not evil but come on he kinda did.


	3. Goodbyes & hidden smiles

A/N:Setting the stage for future. Important chap tho short.

* * *

The summer was hot, much hotter than Tom could remember; the past few weeks had been eye opening and he was almost happy he would be gone by tomorrow. Almost.

Since the discovery of Billy Stubbs' rabbit; all eyes had been fixed firmly on Tom and by connection on Harry. Both were watched throughout the day, only alone in the solitude of their shared room. Things had gotten much worse since they had gone to the beach and the visit from Dumbledore.

The children had continued to cause them trouble and the staff were happy to turn a blind eye much more after that.

Dumbledore had not taken them from this place, he had only given more fuel for the fire with his arrival and left them with the news that Tom would have to leave Harry at the mercy of these people. At the thought his eyes went to Harry who lay in his own bed, his right eye a deep purple, the bruise fading ever so slowly, contrasting the startling green of the boys now closed eyes.

They were wizards. The simple statement explained everything and now it meant that he had to leave Harry.

Their gazes locked suddenly and Harry smiled sadly at his friend before sitting up. Distantly Tom wondered how Harry always knew what he needed in moments like these before dismissing it for now. He could ponder on that later.

There was the sound of sheets rustling and of weight shifting on the mattress before feet met the solid wood of the floor with a light thump. Moving aside his blanket Tom moved over, his back meeting the wall.

"Thanks, Tom." Harry whispered into the silence as he made his way to the other side of the room.

Tom turned slightly, a hint smile on his pale features, "It's cold so hurry." was his only reply as the younger of the two got into the bed; Tom soon pulling the covers over them as Harry wiggled to get comfy.

There was silence for awhile, the sound of their breathing the only thing to be heard. Tom's hand was laid against Harry's back, bringing them closer; the green eyed boy's nose buried in the crook of the others neck. It was comforting to both being so close to the other. In a few hours Tom would be on his way to Hogwarts where they wouldn't see each other until the winter holidays.

Tom sighed, his warm breath tickling Harry out of his thoughts.

"Tom...?"Harry whispered into the boys shoulder.

"Mmm?"

"When you go, I'll miss you."

Tom's hold tightened and he simply held him, his cheek pressing into the boy's unruly dark locks. Harry chuckled at his friends silence before he shivered at the cold.

They lay in silence once more and once more it was Harry who spoke first, "You'll make loads of friends there, with people like us. I'm glad."

"No-one's like us, Harry."The elder told him nonchalantly, "The professor said it himself; what we can do is rare, even amongst wizards."

"Just promise you'll definitely come back for Christmas."

"I'll always come back to you, .You're mine."

Harry grinned at the words. Since the very first day,Tom had claimed he was his and his alone. They were linked,special was what Tom called them. They would never again be alone and forgotten. Never again.

"And you're mine? Right, Tom?"

A smile was pressed into Harry's dark hair as Tom spoke, "That would be fair wouldn't it? So, of course. I'll come back in winter and when we're older I'll take us away from this place. I'll always be yours and you'll always be mine."

"You promise?"

"I swear it on my magic."The boy said in a serious tone, having nothing else to swear upon.

"Then I swear on my magic too."Harry sighed sleepily while; unknown to them, both's eyes glowed eerily in the darkness, an oath of magic struck between them.

As sleep came upon them, dreams of leaving the orphanage together put them into a joyous mood uncommon to them, both unaware of just what fate had in store for both them and the rest of the wizarding world.


End file.
